Lonesome Road
by MrDenim
Summary: Detailing a more cinematic, and combined, version of my favorite experience with Ulysses, who is without a doubt, one of the most badass characters I've ever come across.


**Lonesome Road**

Sean Ellis, Courier Six, Survivor of the Sierra Madre, Warrior of Zion, Doctor Ellis, what ever you wish to call him, has reached the end of his road. He has earned the Dead Money, learned from Honest Hearts, suffered from Old World Blues, and now… now he has walked the Lonesome Road.

An ear twitched when ED-E gave off a fearful beeping sequence, indicating his… fear. He looked over his shoulder without stopping, gave ED-E a smile, and turned back to the Old World flag waving in a breeze.

Sean quickly checked over everything he needed. He was wearing his 1st Recon Beret that Boone had given him, reinforced leather armor that had the shoulder pad missing from a rather nasty fall, and authority glasses that he found in the Presidential Suite of the Lucky 38. Strapped to his sides were his two favorite pistols: Lucky and the Mysterious Magnum that he received from the Lonesome Drifter as a gift. On his back was a Katana that he bought from Mick of Mick & Ralph's. With a satisfactory nod, he continued his walk towards the lone figure facing the Old World flag.

Ulysses turned his head slightly to address Sean, "Even in the Divide, the shadow of death falls." He turned to face Sean completely, "Or is it you, Courier, bearing the weight of countless corpses on your back. By your shadow, it seems that you couldn't let that _machine_ go. Doesn't matter now. Either way, the Divide Giants are awakening. The missiles here, on their way home. There is no way to stop them."

Sean asked, "I still don't understand – why are you doing this?"

Ulysses crossed his arms and said, "You've answered your own question. And you'll die with that question on your lips. You don't see, listen – even when it's all around you, no matter if I nailed it into your head like a gift from Caesar. You brought the Divide to life, Courier. You walked the road. The Bear followed, then the Bull, brought me, following your tracks. And when I saw the Divide you made, I saw a second chance, a new way of thinking. My world – no longer the East.

Then you brought the West, in that _package_. Destroyed it all. Nearly killed me, flesh and spirit. You destroyed something larger than the Bear, greater than the Bull. And even when you could have turned away, you brought it again, in that _machine_. You destroyed a nation taking its first breath. A place that could have been my home. Now, I'll destroy yours."

Sean took a careful step back from the emotion coming from Ulysses' words. He sighed and said, "If you meant to kill me, you should have done it long ago."

Ulysses gave a dry laugh and said, "Not if you believe in what you follow. Kill no Courier, Caesar's words. I honored them. Other Courier's could have been Legion – like me. The truth is, you serve nothing, believe nothing. Killing you… meaningless."

Sean took another step back, and said, "What happened at the Divide, what I did, was an accident. What you're doing – it's madness."

Ulysses rubbed his temples through his dreadlocks and said, "No, now there is _purpose_. I believe you when you said you were… careless. The Divide… the Chip… the _machine_ you brought here…Many messages can be taken from that, intended or not. What I do now is an act of conviction."

Sean tightened his fists and said softly, "If you blame me for the Divide, then let me answer for it, not others."

Ulysses scoffed and said, "Blame you? No, learned from you. Both the weapon to kill a nation, and the strength to do it. You showed me a road, a way to carry my message. You've already answered for what you've done. Now the world you follow will answer for it."

"So what – you intend to bomb the Mojave?" Sean asked with a curious glance.

"No, not the Mojave. The West, all that's been built since America died. Same symbols as before the war, now a flag carried by a tribe of children. You walked West, didn't stay. You know the reason… the Bear grows without structure, follows a symbol without knowing its history. And knowing that you allowed the Bear's sickness to spread and go unhindered… then that gives more reason to lay waste to your homeland. After this, only one flag will remain over the Mojave. Let that one fly, or destroy itself."

Sean took a single step forward, causing a Weapons Eyebot to hover closer to Ulysses. "You can't destroy the west, even with all the missiles here."

"No need to destroy the Bear, just cut its throat. You taught me that at the Divide – only need to cut off the supply line, the road, to watch something greater die." Ulysses crossed his arms and glared at Sean, "I'll turn the Long 15 into miles of fire, cut off the Mojave. NCR will fall back, lose Hoover Dam… and leave their throat exposed to the Legion."

Sean's eyes appeared to glow with an internal fire. "Even if you have no faith in the West, I do. My actions have proven it."

This time, Ulysses took a step back. He said, "Your actions have carried strength. If you speak for the West, I'll hear your words. Even if I will be the only one to hear them. If you believe it should not die this day… then answer me why."

Sean's eyes flashed a blood red for a second, a snarl appeared on his face, and he growled, "You've wasted enough of my time. Get ready to die!"

He drew his Katana from his back, immediately, the Eyebots surrounded Ulysses, protecting him.

Ulysses crossed his arms and scoffed, then said, "I'll finish history's work. If the Divide couldn't kill you, perhaps these spears of the Old World can." He drew a staff with a golden Bald Eagle on its head and said, "Let's end this, Courier, you and I. Here, with the Old World flag as witness."

They stood still for several seconds, neither of them moving. The Eyebots moved into support positions.

They charged each other.

There was the sound of wood hitting metal, and the two Couriers were the source, each trying to over power the other. Sean felt himself slowly being overpowered as he was leaning onto his knees. With a final shove, he forced Ulysses off. Ulysses landed on a single hand, and launched himself back onto the platform, standing strongly on his feet.

Sean ran towards the man, Katana at the ready. Ulysses twirled the staff and deflected the strikes Sean sent his way. One strike got through, making a slash across his duster. Ulysses glared at Sean and sent his own barrage of attacks.

Sean was forced to dodge the eagle's sharpened wings, twisting and jumping left to right. He reacted too late, and received a deep slash that went clean through his armor and into his arm. He let out a gasp of pain and shock, grasping the injured area with his other arm. He took a few careful steps backwards as Ulysses walked towards him, twirling his staff, making the blood fly through the air like rain.

Ulysses frowned slightly as he saw Sean inject a stimpack into his arm, making the wound close. Then again, Ulysses was perhaps the biggest challenge the Courier had ever faced. Sean took a couple more steps back and readied his Katana. Ulysses stopped midstep and readied his staff.

They charged each other again.

This time, Sean twisted around the staff, and aimed a strike towards his opponent's neck. Ulysses leaned backwards, and with a grin that was visible through his mask, grabbed the Katana by its blade, and threw it through the air, making Sean lose his only melee weapon.

He leaped backwards and pulled out his two pistols and fired them at the same time. Ulysses ran behind an undetonated warhead, ahead of the bullets by a few meager inches. He pulled out his 12.7 submachine gun and put in a magazine. He waited for the silence of someone reloading their weapon.

When that silence came, Ulysses ran out from behind cover, spraying bullets as he ran sideways, only to find Sean less than a foot away as he used a thumb to pull back the hammer of Lucky, a bullet still inside the chamber.

Sean smiled and said, "Goodbye."

As his forefinger pulled the trigger, Ulysses punched him in the kidney, making his arm jerk upwards and the bullet fly into the sky through the missile silo. Sean groaned as he gripped his side and stepped backwards, Ulysses aiming for his forehead.

"You will die this day, Courier." Ulysses said simply.

Sean laughed and said, "I've survived a bullet to the brain, Ulysses. There's not much that can kill me."

Even with the mask on, you could tell that Ulysses smirked as he said, "That may be so, Courier. But today, you will learn that even legends can die."

They stared at each other, one waiting for the other to move. The other waiting for him to pull the trigger. Sean stood still, his back straight as the pain in his side faded. He closed his eyes and took a breath. He opened his eyes and let a determined smile plaster his face. He put his hands behind his back, causing Ulysses to twitch his trigger finger.

He heard the sound of something being pulled, and before he could react, Sean threw the Plasma Grenade hard enough to make a bruise form on Ulysses' cheek. He gasped as the grenade exploded, launching him backwards and landing harshly on the black metal stairs just below the platform, the wind getting knocked out of his lungs.

Sean, on the other hand, was reloading his pistols as fast as he could. Good thing he picked Rapid Reload. He aimed both, now, fully reloaded weapons at the rising form of the man that indirectly got him shot in the head. He pulled the triggers of both weapons.

Ulysses leap-frogged at the last second, causing a bullet to tear a new hole in his already tattered jacket. He landed in a roll, without stopping, pulled out his submachine gun, and sprayed in his opponent's general direction. Sean went prone and barrel rolled to the left, the bullets either flying over him or missing by a few inches at best. He used one hand to pivot his way to a standing position.

Grinning like a madman, Sean made a beeline for his Katana, Ulysses trying to shoot him to ribbons the entire time. In one smooth motion, Sean cart wheeled, grabbed his sword in his left hand, and took off running while dodging bullets and sheathing his favorite melee weapon at the same time.

He slid behind the closest cover, another undetonated warhead, and reloaded his pistols. A bullet whizzed by his head, leaving a hole in his beret and missing his hair… by a hair. He took a few quick breaths, readying his body for another sprint. He bolted to the right, only to get pistol whipped in the jaw by Ulysses.

Sean gripped his dislocated jaw, and popped it back into place, gasping in pain as it forced its way past the other bones and muscle. He glared at Ulysses, whose breathing mask gave no ground as to his expression. Sean tried to stand up but his ankle was like_ I don't feel working anymore_.

_Damn,_ Sean thought. _Must've broken it when I fell._

He tried standing again, leaning more on his unbroken foot, a grimace on his face. Ulysses lowered his gun and sighed. He motioned for a Medical Eyebot to come closer. One did, it let out a quizzical beeping. Ulysses motioned at Sean with his thumb. The robot let a shocked beeping at the request. Ulysses glared at the Eyebot, making it figuratively sweat drop. The Eyebot flew over to Sean, and in a few seconds, the human was fully recovered of all of his injuries.

Sean stood up and looked at Ulysses in confusion. He asked one word, "Why?"

Ulysses smiled lightly behind his mask and said, "Because I don't want to kill you while you're lying down helpless."

Sean laughed and was about to comment when there was a sudden explosion from behind them. They both turned to see dozens of Marked Men pouring through the Temple door. Sean aimed the Mysterious Magnum at Ulysses and yelled, "What did you do?!"

Ulysses laughed and said. "I set this up, to where if you manage you defeat me, your only escape will be blocked. That an—"

Ulysses was cut off as a plasma beam missed his head by a few inches. Both couriers looked around to find them surrounded by Marked Men, with more coming from the door. They stood back-to-back, glaring at the enemies.

Sean heard Ulysses whisper, "I'll ask again: If you believe it should not die this day… then answer me why."

Without missing a beat, Sean answered, "Because I built the beginnings of a nation from nothing. It can happen again, with you. Even if I die here – in the Great Divide – convincing you will be enough for me."

Sean heard Ulysses let out a bark of a laugh. He couldn't help chuckling himself.

"Well then," Sean reloaded his weapons as Ulysses did the same with his. "Shall we?"

Without another word, they unleashed Hell on the Marked Men…

**L.R.**

After the rather quick battle, Sean, Ulysses, and ED-E spent what time they could spare trying to figure out how to stop the bombing. ED-E suddenly gave out a sequence of beeps and played an audio recording. Realizing what the message was saying, Sean asked…

"Are you saying that you can stop this?"

ED-E hovered up and down with a happy sequence of beeps.

That's great! But…" Sean's face saddened and muttered. "That recording said that you'll be destroyed during the event. I don't want to lose you, ED-E."

A lot of smoke started pouring from the active missiles, causing Ulysses to exclaim, "Let the machine do it, or redirect the detonation coordinates, Courier! We don't have much time!"

Without any form of recognition, dramatic music started radiating from ED-E as he hacked his way through the military encrypted launch terminal. Sparks of malfunctioning electronics arched all around ED-E's outer chassis. Ulysses grabbed Sean's wrist and ran towards the elevator. Sean was forced to watch helplessly as ED-E sacrificed himself to save tens of thousands of people, friend and foe alike.

**Aftermath**

_And so the Old World missiles were stopped before their journey even began, with the help of a robot, and a surprising ally. There are still many rumors of a lone figure that wanders the Great Divide, with an Old World symbol on his back. He keeps a silent vigil over a dead town with a tiny spark of Hope. ED-E, before having been destroyed, sent the entirety of his journey through the Divide to his brother in the Mojave, hoping that his Courier friend will find him._

_ As for the Courier? He has earned Dead Money. He has learned from Honest Hearts. He has suffered from Old World Blues. And now… now he has walked a Lonesome Road._

_ The last road he will walk, before the Second Battle for Hoover Dam…_

_After said battle, in the years that followed, Courier visited Ulysses. They rarely spoke, just sat there and spent a silent vigil together over a dead town with a tiny spark of Hope. Until, one day, they both past one. Ulysses, because of age. Courier, because of a rather stupid mistake in Quarry Junction..._

_What does this mean for the both of them? It means that they're adventures..._

are far from over...


End file.
